Chemical toilet cabana shell section

ABSTRACT

A chemical toilet cabana comprising a plurality of initially identical shell sections, each having a dome-like roof, side walls terminating in a bell-like enlarged lower end and a base flange extending outwardly from the enlarged lower end of the side wall. The base flange is removed from a first shell section to form a cabana top. The dome-like roof is removed from a second shell section to form a cabana base and both the dome-like roof and the base flange are removed from other shell sections to form intermediate cabana shell members. The sections are stacked one upon the other with the wall of a section fitted within the enlarged lower end of the section immediately thereabove and with the walls of the sections substantially in vertical alignment. The base flange of the bottom section is fastened to a base skid which includes a filler material for weight and stability of the cabana.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This is a division of application Ser. No. 493,256 filed July 31, 1974,which in turn is a division of Ser. No. 378,316 filed July 11, 1973, andnow U.S. Pat. No. 3,835,480 issued Sept. 17, 1974.

The invention herein relates to outdoor chemical-type toilet cabanassuch as that illustrated in the patent to Harding, U.S. Pat. No.3,447,167 of June 3, 1969. Chemical toilets used, for example, atconstruction and recreation sites, have been made of a unitary wood orplastic cabana structure containing toilet facilities. These structuresare quite heavy and thus, difficult to transport or ship from the placeof manufacture to the ultimate place of use. Moreover, they aredifficult to clean and to repair when damaged.

Where relatively lightweight plastic cabanas are used, such as set forthin the above U.S. Pat. No. 3,447,167, other problems arise, becausethese cabanas provide insufficient stability, thus requiring anextremely heavy support base which increases the weight, cost, anddifficulty of shipping. In addition, the cost of molding the manyrequired parts, including the costs of the molds, is substantial, as isthe cost of stocking numerous parts for replacement of damaged parts.

Thus, the invention herein relates to a relatively inexpensive, plasticmolded, chemical toilet cabana which is easily transportable, is formedof relatively few parts, and is easily assembled.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention herein relates to a chemical toilet cabana formed of aplurality of initially identical shell sections each having a dome-likeroof, side walls terminating in a bell-like enlarged lower end, and abase flange extending outwardly from the bell-like lower end of the sidewall. Each of these sections may be initially molded from the same mold.

Thereafter, the base flange is removed from a first section to form thetop for a toilet cabana. The dome-like roof is removed from a secondsection to form the bottom of the cabana, and both the dome-like roofand the base flange are removed from other sections to form intermediatesections of the cabana. The various sections are stacked one upon theother with the wall of a given section fitting within the enlargedbell-like lower end of the section thereabove and with the side walls ofall the sections being substantially in vertical alignment.

The base flange of the bottommost section is connected to a base skidwhich may be in the form of a metal or plastic pan filled with anaggregate material for weight and covered over with a material, such asa foam plastic, which forms an interior surface for the cabana floor.The side walls of the bottommost shell section has a plurality of ventslots formed therein at the upper edge of the shell to provide foradequate ventilation.

When the sections are stacked one upon the other, they may be rivetedtogether and the bell-like enlarged lower ends provide not only ariveting surface for all sections but also act as a louver to preventwater, such as rainwater, from entering the slots of the bottommostsection.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention willbecome apparent upon reading the following description taken inconjunction with the drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the drawings, wherein like reference numerals identify correspondingparts:

FIG. 1 is a perspective illustration of a chemical toilet cabanaaccording to the principles of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective illustration of the chemical toiletcabana of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a partial exploded view illustrating the seat, chemical tankand base support for the cabana of FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 4 is a perspective illustration of a single cabana shell section;

FIG. 5 is a front elevation of a single cabana shell section showing theplanes through which the top and/or bottom may be removed;

FIG. 6 is an illustration of the stacking and joining of two verticalsections;

FIG. 7 is an illustration of a plurality of sections joined together toform a complete shell;

FIG. 8 is a perspective illustration, partly broken away, of the baseskid of the present invention;

FIG. 9 is a front elevation view of the skid of FIG. 7;

FIG. 10 is a side elevation of the base skid of FIG. 7; and

FIG. 11 is a perspective illustration of another embodiment of the baseskid of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The chemical toilet cabana 10 of the present invention is formed of aplurality of initially identical shell sections 12 including a topsection 14, a plurality of intermediate sections 16 and a bottom section18. The bottom section 18 is secured to a base skid 20.

The wall of each section has a cut-out or opening 22 into which a moldedframe 24 may be attached. A door 26 may be fastened to the frame 24 suchas by hinges. The inside of the chemical toilet cabana may include aurinal 28, and a toilet 30 which may be part of a seat unit 32. Asillustrated in greater detail in FIGS. 2 and 3, a chemical holding tank34 may be provided beneath the toilet 30.

With respect to FIGS. 4-7, each individual shell section 12, which maybe molded of plastic or the like, initially includes a dome 40, sidewalls 42 and front flanges 46 to which the door frame 24 may be secured.

The side walls 42 terminate at their lower end in a bell-like enlargedportion or louver 48 and each section includes a base flange 50 whichextends outwardly in all directions from the bell-like enlarged end 48.In the base flange 50 there are a plurality of holes 52 through whichbolts may be inserted for securing the bottommost section to the baseskid 20.

Each of the shell sections are initially in the form illustrated in FIG.4. Thus, they may be all manufactured from the same mold. It is animportant feature that these shells 12 are initially identical since theheight of a particular cabana may be varied by adding or eliminatingintermediate sections 16 as in FIGS. 1 and 2. Using identical sectionsalso reduces the cost of tooling and preparing molds.

After the shells 12 have been molded in the form shown in FIG. 4, theyare selectively cut to form the individual top, intermediate, and bottomshell sections. With reference to FIG. 5, it is seen that the dome 40may be removed by cutting through a plane indicated at 54. By removingthe dome 40, the remaining portion of the shell section 12 becomes abottom shell section 18 as in FIGS. 1 and 2. Vents 44 are formed in theside walls of the bottom section 18.

Another shell 12 may have its base flange 50 removed by a cut throughthe plane indicated at 56 in FIG. 5. The resulting shell becomes a topsection 14 as in FIGS. 1 and 2.

Additional shells 12 may have both the dome 40 and the base flange 50removed by making cuts through both planes 54 and 56. This results inintermediate shell sections 16 as in FIGS. 1 and 2.

Once the desired number of shell sections, top, bottom and intermediate,have been cut, the sections are stacked in substantial verticalalignment with the side wall 42 of a given section extending into thebell-like enlarged lower end 48 of the section immediately thereabove.As illustrated in FIG. 5, rivets 58 may be utilized to secure eachbell-like lower end 48 to the side walls 42 stacked therein.

The bell-like lower end 48 acts as a surface through which the rivetsmay pass and further acts as a louver to prevent water from passingthrough the vents 44 in the bottom section. This keeps moisture out ofthe holding tank while permitting continuous ventillation.

After the shell sections are stacked with their side walls 42 insubstantial vertical alignment, the door frame 24 may be inserted intothe cut-out 22 and attached to the flange 46 such as by riveting or thelike. Then the door 26 is secured to the frame.

The parts forming the cabana may be shipped from the manufacturing plantto local service centers, for assembly of the unit and then localtransportation to the site of use. Alternatively, the parts may beshipped to and assembled at the site of use, as for example, at aconstruction site. So little equipment is necessary for such assembly,such as riveting tools, that such equipment is readily available at mostconstruction sites.

Once the wall sections have been fastened together, the base flange 50of the bottom section 18 may be secured to a base skid 20 such as byhaving bolts in the skid which extend upward through the holes 52.Alternatively, bolts may be inserted downward through the holes 52 intothe base skid.

FIGS. 9 and 10 illustrate a base skid formed of a metal or plastic pan60 having runners 62 thereunder to form a supporting surface, whichrests upon the ground, and having a front portion 64 which is raised tosupport the floor. The base skid 20 also includes a depression 66 tosupport the chemical tank 34 when the entire cabana is assembled. Alsoillustrated are bolts 68 extending upwardly from the base skid.

Since the base skid is initially separate from the cabana, a pluralityof base skids may be nested together for shipment. The area above therunners 62 of the skid may be filled with a stone aggregate material 70to add weight and stability to the skid. Then, a material such as highdensity polyurethane or a rigid thermosetting polystyrene 72 may befoamed over the skid to provide a finished surface in all areas. Thisfoamed material provides a finished surface for the interior support ofthe cabana floor.

FIG. 11 illustrates another embodiment of the skid 20 including a pan 60with runners 62 and having internal front and rear raised projections74, 76 with a space 78 therebetween. The rear projection 76 includes adepressed area 66 to receive the chemical holding tank 34. In thisembodiment, the area of the pan above the runners 62 and the areasurrounding the projections 74, 76, including space 78, may be filledwith stone aggregate or cement to add bottom weight for stability. Thena covering, such as plastic, is placed over the top of the skid and tankto support the seat 30. Again, the empty skids may be nested togetherfor shipping purposes.

It should be understood that the concepts of the present invention arenot restricted to the manufacture of a chemical toilet cabana but may beutilized for any enclosure wherein it is desired to manufacture theenclosure of a plurality of sections which are initially identical andwhich may be modified slightly to fit one within the other to comprisetop, intermediate and base sections. The enclosure may be shipped in aknock-down form to be assembled at the place of use and at that timeattached to a base skid which provides the stability necessary such asto withstand the force of wind at outdoor construction areas.

The invention may be further developed within the scope of the followingclaims. Accordingly, the foregoing description should be read only asillustrative of an operative embodiment of this invention and not in alimited sense.

What is claimed is:
 1. A shell adapted to be used as a top,intermediate, or bottom member of a portable enclosure, and molded of arigid plastic-like, thermally stable material, comprising:a dome-likeroof; a side wall extending downwardly from said roof and terminating ina bell-like enlarged lower end; and a base flange extending outwardlyfrom the enlarged lower end of said side wall; whereby said dome-likeroof may be removed to form a base member of said enclosure, said baseflange may be removed to form a top member of said enclosure, and bothsaid dome-like roof and said base flange may be removed to form anintermediate member of said enclosure.
 2. The invention as defined inclaim 1, wherein said side wall includes a cut out to receive a door orthe like.
 3. The invention as defined in claim 1, wherein said side wallis slotted to provide ventilation for said enclosure.
 4. A shell adaptedto be used as a top, intermediate or bottom member of a portable toiletenclosure comprising:a dome-like roof; and a side wall extendingdownwardly from said roof and terminating in a bell-like enlargedlouver; whereby when the dome-like roof of a second shell is removed andthe second shell vertically aligned beneath the first shell with theside wall of the second shell fitted within the louver of the firstshell, the louver of the first shell prevents water from entering thesecond shell at the region where the shells are fitted together andfurther the louver of the first shell and the side wall of the secondshell taken together to form a sturdy, double-thickness structure at theregion where the shells are fitted together and at which region thelouver forms a support to which the side wall of the second shell may befastened.
 5. The invention as defined in claim 4, wherein said firstshell further includes a flat base flange extending radially outwardlyfrom said enlarged louver, said first shell having an open bottomradially interiorly of said side wall.